Kegerator Problem

[widgetjam]

I'm consistently getting crappy pours from my keg (see pictures). I keep getting these large bubbles crop up and foam up my pours. I have the ubiquitous standard of 10' of 3/16 tubing set at 10-12PSI set to 38F on my temperature controller. The taps are only 8in from the heads of the kegs. Any help would be apprecited!!!

 

[Schecter]

This wouldn't be a dryhopped beer by chance, would it?

Have you checked your diptube/poppet? Some gunk could cause some intermittent and confusing foaming, it's happened to me before.

 

[widgetjam]

Nope, this is happening for all my kegs. The most left one has been sitting the longest and thus has more separation.

 

[MarkO22]

I Kegged my first batch about a month and a half ago and had the same thing happen. any help would be greatly appreciated. Have basically the same set up as this.

 

[zachattack]

Do you have a fan in that keezer?

 

[MrHopScotch]

The bubbles in the lines mean that the beer will be slamming into the faucet and causing foam. The reason they happen is because the top of your fridge is warmer than the bottom so the co2 in the lines comes out of solution.

The fix is to put a fan in your fridge to blow the air around and keep the top from being warmer than the bottom.

 

[widgetjam]

Okay, I'll buy a fan to see if it helps at all *fingers crossed*

 

[aviator01]

The fan circulating the air will attempt to create a uniform temperature in your keezer. My fan is not well positioned, just sits on top of one of the kegs, but I can tell a difference if I forget to hook it up.

 

[muels]

+1 on the fan. Being over carbed will exacerbate this. Do the fan first though, that should fix it.


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[MrHopScotch]

+1 on the fan. Being over carbed will exacerbate this. Do the fan first though, that should fix it.


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Good point. The other thing that I've had cause bubbles like that is accidentally lowering the pressure below the carbonation level of the beer. Same story: allows the co2 to come out of solution before it hits the tap and causes mad foam.

 

[andrewmaixner]

Verify that the dip tube o-rings are installed properly? Otherwise co2 leaks into the serving line.

 

[muels]

Good point. The other thing that I've had cause bubbles like that is accidentally lowering the pressure below the carbonation level of the beer. Same story: allows the co2 to come out of solution before it hits the tap and causes mad foam.

Had that issue as well! Good point. If one thing goes out of whack it can be a pain to get it straightened back out.


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[muels]

Verify that the dip tube o-rings are installed properly? Otherwise co2 leaks into the serving line.

Can you explain this more? The beer and head space should be in equilibrium so the gas and liquid should be at the same pressure (considering consistent temp). Gaseous molecules are capable of migrating from lower to higher pressures but not at the rate that should cause excess CO2. I may be missing what you mean.


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[zachattack]

Can you explain this more? The beer and head space should be in equilibrium so the gas and liquid should be at the same pressure (considering consistent temp). Gaseous molecules are capable of migrating from lower to higher pressures but not at the rate that should cause excess CO2. I may be missing what you mean.


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If the dip tube o-ring is compromised on the out (liquid) size, gas will leak into the liquid side as it leaves the dip tube and enters the post. The beer and headspace are at the same pressure when static, but the beer in the dip tube and line drops in pressure once the faucet is open and it starts flowing.

 

[andrewmaixner]

Can you explain this more? The beer and head space should be in equilibrium so the gas and liquid should be at the same pressure (considering consistent temp). Gaseous molecules are capable of migrating from lower to higher pressures but not at the rate that should cause excess CO2. I may be missing what you mean.


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In short, if there is a leak at the TOP of the liquid dip tube, gas will come into the beer line through the hole, along with the liquid, since the leak location is not submerged. Then you get insane amounts of foaming.

The easy way to check this is to tip the keg over so that the entire liquid dip tube is submerged, and then see if it still foams a lot on the pour.

The fix is to sanitize you hands, de-pressurize the keg, disassemble the liquid-out post and tube, and re-assemble it correctly with new, lubed, O-ring(s). I went through this with my first keg ever, which I got used -- the O-ring was on the wrong side of the dip tube. the tube needs to stick through the O-ring:

 

[PapaO]

If it is a bad o ring or dip tube your beer line would look like this when you pour.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0ByIbxNsfjLkAY2E1VHp5bVd0aG8/view?pli=1
When your beer in the keg is colder then your lines you will get Co2 coming out of solution. What you need is a fan to keep your beer lines the same temp. as your keg.

 

[brewprint]

If it is a bad o ring or dip tube your beer line would look like this when you pour.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0ByIbxNsfjLkAY2E1VHp5bVd0aG8/view?pli=1
When your beer in the keg is colder then your lines you will get Co2 coming out of solution. What you need is a fan to keep your beer lines the same temp. as your keg.

Yep that's what happens. I've had that happen but not to that extent.

 

[muels]

In short, if there is a leak at the TOP of the liquid dip tube, gas will come into the beer line through the hole, along with the liquid, since the leak location is not submerged. Then you get insane amounts of foaming.

The easy way to check this is to tip the keg over so that the entire liquid dip tube is submerged, and then see if it still foams a lot on the pour.

The fix is to sanitize you hands, de-pressurize the keg, disassemble the liquid-out post and tube, and re-assemble it correctly with new, lubed, O-ring(s). I went through this with my first keg ever, which I got used -- the O-ring was on the wrong side of the dip tube. the tube needs to stick through the O-ring:

10-4. I was thinking you were talking about a static condition. It makes sense that when you open the tap you create a pressure drop to move the liquid and higher pressure could get in. I knew I was missing something!


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